This application claims priority to Finnish patent application number 20002111, filed Sep. 26, 2000.
This invention relates to a vehicle tire and to indications made in the tire to show the position of this particular tire in the set of tires of the vehicle.
It is well known that, when summer tires are replaced with winter tires, or vice versa, an indication of the position of the replaced tire among the set of tires has preferably been made on the side of the tire, for the tire to be fitted in the same place next time it is used. This indication has conventionally been made by pencil on the side of the tire or the rim (e.g., OT=RR right-hand rear tire). An optional manner is to glue a piece of painter""s masking tape to the tire side, indicating the position among the tires of the vehicle.
However, the typically black rubber surface of the tire does not provide an optimal background for the indication to be discerned, and pieces of painter""s tape tend to come off, since the tire surface is often fouled after use and thus has a poor adhesive surface. The traces of typically available indicating means are poorly discernable from the remaining tire surface; with the exception of felt-tip pens or chalks that leave a light trace (e.g., silvery or white). Then again, these marks made with felt-tip pens or chalks are inconvenient as the set of tires are rotated under the car to even out their wear. Old marks are not always easy to remove completely. If, again, the mark has not been made properly, it may disappear during the storage of the tires. The absence of indicating means available when the tires are being replaced causes another problem, and then this marking, which is quite essential as such, is not done at all, and the tires may be completely in disorder when fitted in the car next time.
This invention brings a solution to the problems described above. The invention and its preferred embodiments are characterized by the features defined in the claims below.
The inventive idea is to provide the tire side with a surface pattern, preferably an embossed pattern, which unambiguously illustrates the tire positions of the vehicle, and to fit a circular and turnable button of, e.g., plastic in a recess located in the center or in the vicinity of the embossment. An optional shape of the button is a square, allowing the button to be withdrawn from the recess and refitted in the correct position.
The button comprises a pattern, preferably an arrow pattern, which indicates the position of the particular tire in the tire position embossment. The straight portion of the arrow consists of a groove and/or an embossment in the button, and the bent end portion consists of, e.g., a drawing, a relief or a recess. The button remains fixed in the tire owing to the recess in the tire or to the shape of the button. The options for performing the attachment are almost infinite. One preferred shape of the button and the recess is a conical shape that flares out as it penetrates deeper into the tire surface. However, it is preferable that the button is securely retained in the tire and that it can be moved whenever necessary, for instance, by rotating or by detaching and subsequently reattaching.
The position of a tire in the set of tires of the vehicle is determined by turning the button, which is embedded in the recess of the tire, using the groove or the embossment, with, for instance, a screwdriver with a chisel head, a coin edge or a pair of pliers, to the desired position, with the point of the arrow pattern in the button pointing at the tire position embossment surrounding it and determining the position of the tire among the set of tires. In this manner, the tire xe2x80x9cremembersxe2x80x9d its position among the set of tires during storage and, should the positions be rotated in order to even out tire wear, the xe2x80x9cmemoryxe2x80x9d can readily be updated to the new fitting position.
When a button having some other shape than circular is being used, the button should first be removed from the recess and then be refitted in the correct position in the recess.
The invention eliminates the need for the provision of any special indicating means during the replacement of tires and, with the solution of the invention, there is no risk of the mark being effaced from the tire.